HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College softball team (23-9, 6-6 CC) dropped both ends of a Centennial Conference doubleheader to visiting Gettysburg (16-18, 7-5 CC) on Saturday afternoon at Class of '95 Field. Despite multiple offensive surges, the Fords could not slow down a potent Bullets lineup, falling 10-8 in the opener before an 18-6 defeat in six innings in the nightcap.
Gettysburg 10, Haverford 8
The opener featured a back-and-forth battle, as Haverford erased an early deficit before Gettysburg used a late surge to pull away. The Bullets took a 2-0 lead in the first, capitalizing on a Fords fielding error.
Haverford responded in the third, plating four runs to seize control. Zoe Friedman sparked the inning with a leadoff double before Jocelyn Leal drove her in with a double to center. After a walk to Shelby Preisser, Lauren Martin added an RBI single down the left-field line. Kyra Van Denburgh capped the rally with a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to right, giving the Fords a 4-3 advantage.
The Fords extended the lead to 5-3 in the fourth when Leal singled home Addie Sapirstein, who had reached on a bunt and stolen second.
Gettysburg answered in the sixth, stringing together seven singles as part of a five-run inning to regain control.
Trailing 10-5 in the seventh, Haverford mounted one final push. Preisser worked a leadoff walk, followed by a Martin single, before Kama Bode was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Abby Litchfield drove in a run with a groundout, and Friedman followed with a two-RBI single to cut the deficit to two. Grace Stowe added a pinch-hit double to keep the rally alive, but Sapirstein's deep fly ball came up just short.
Lexi Waring (7-7) earned the complete game win for Gettysburg, while Anna Murphy took the loss in relief. Leal, Martin, and Friedman each recorded two hits for the Fords.
The bottom of the Bullets' lineup proved decisive, as Lauren Bickler, Emily Bakker, and Zoe Brennan combined for six hits and three RBI from the 7-8-9 spots.
Gettysburg 18, Haverford 6 (6 Innings)
In the second game, Gettysburg's offense erupted for 18 runs on 21 hits to secure the sweep.
Haverford jumped out to an early 2-1 lead in the first on an RBI groundout from Bode and a wild pitch that brought Leal home. However, the Bullets took control in the middle innings, scoring five runs in the third and seven more in the fourth to build a commanding advantage.
Bode provided a highlight for the Fords with a towering home run to center, trimming the deficit to 6-3 before Gettysburg answered with its seven-run fourth inning. Audrey Bergan and Renee Laczkowski led the charge, with Laczkowski launching a two-run homer during the frame.
Haverford showed fight in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three unearned runs behind an RBI single from Preisser and a bases-loaded walk by Bode to make it 13-6.
The Bullets added five more runs in the sixth to account for the final margin. Anika Pelekis paced the offense with four singles, while seven different Gettysburg players recorded multiple hits. Katie Laplaunt earned the win in the circle, tossing 4.1 innings and allowing just one earned run.
For the Fords, Sarah Fan and Friedman each tallied two hits.
Today was Haverford's teal-out game in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which raises awareness, supports survivors, and promotes prevention efforts. The event is part of ongoing campus initiatives led by student organizations and campus partners focused on education, consent, and building a safer community.
With the Centennial Conference playoff race tightening, Haverford returns to action on Tuesday with another home doubleheader against Muhlenberg. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Class of '95 Field.
